Hot Property – July

Roundhouse site for sale

The Roundhouse site in Ocean Shores is certainly the saga that keeps on giving. Council copped a serious degree of flack for selling off this site that was once going to be community land. The sale process seemed rushed and haphazard and many thought they were undersold and should have gone to auction. There may be some evidence in that claim now as Lot 8 has just been relisted and asking $600,000 to $650,000. It was sold by council on the 15th of September 2015 for $450,000. That is an increase of $100k PA for the lucky buyers who were queued up outside the Brunswick Heads Professionals REA at the time they were listed.

36 Carlyle St Byron Bay

This is vacant land on the flat side of what they call the Byron “Golden Grid”. 1012 square metres with an old tear-down cottage. So, basically: vacant land listed for $2.6-2.8M. Late last year I helped clients get into a newly renovated, four-bedroom home in a better position for similar money. That about says it all in what has been happening this last 9 months.

Cabarita acreage

Why doesn’t anyone listen to me? A great fixer-upper is going to auction this week at Clothiers Creek, the hinterland of Cabarita. Mid 700s is expected and it has fabulous ocean views. This is the classic worst house in the best street story.

Murwillumbah

Murwillumbah is going from strength to strength and I am currently spending more time there. I was going to feature a two-bedroom house on a big block in a good part of town. But, yes, you guessed it; it sold before I was to send this out. Still a few interesting and decent houses there for under $400,000 – but not for long.

Car park space – $400,000

You really know property is huge when a car space is listed for around what a house would sell for. This double car space in a complex in Bond Street, Sydney has been listed for $400,000 and is said to be “reasonable”.

Piccolo Bar closing

Speaking of Sydney, allow me some nostalgia. The Piccolo Bar in Kings Cross is closing and that’s the end of an era. Long-term owner operator, Vittorio Bianchi is turning 82 after coming to work there in 1964. The Piccolo Bar was where I whiled away many midnight hours after working in one of my previous careers as a stage manager and theatre producer. The Piccolo was once the favoured late night haunt of many in the film and TV industry, politicians and other low life. Vittorio blames the lockout laws and the ban on smoking inside, and outside cafés, for the likely end of the Cross’s oldest coffee bar. “The politicians have done a good job of killing the place,” he said.

Iconic Aussie Castle For Sale

The house featured in the hit Australian film “The Castle” can be yours for as little as a few thousand dollars. Pictured above, the classic suburban weatherboard at 3 Dagonet Street Strathmore, where the Kerrigan (“Tell em they’re dreaming!”) family lived, is going to auction. The sale has been delayed by talk of it being heritage or used as a promotion for a whiskey company. The owner, Vicky Cosentino, wants it gone so she can build a duplex. Yes, you need to spend another $40-50,000 having the house moved away from the block adjoining the Tullamarine airport.